University of Wisconsin Interventional Pain Program

Is Spinal Injection Right For Your Patient or You?

patient Therapeutic spinal procedures are requested for moderate to severe pain in patients who have not gotten better from other simpler treatments. Spinal injections are usually not the first line of treatment. Your doctor will first try simpler remedies that may include modified rest, pain medications, physical therapy, and psychological therapy. Your doctor may request a spinal injection if you do not get better and are still limited in activities after participating in simpler treatments. Your doctor also may request a spinal injection if you initially started to get better but have made no further progress with simpler treatments. Sometimes when pain is severe and disabling, injections may be requested early instead of waiting. Spinal injections will only help specific areas of pain. Whole body pain and pain that is poorly localized often will not be helped by spinal injections.

What are prognostic blocks and why do I need these before my surgery or neurolysis?

Prognostic blocks guide future care. The response to local anesthetic blocks will guide the area the surgeon needs to work on. Disc injections are also requested prior to fusion to identify the levels to fuse and to determine the status of nearby discs. Similarly, local anesthetic blocks before nerve destruction can predict the response to the proposed procedure. If there are any adverse effects associated with the procedure, the temporary blocks provide an opportunity to experience these before agreeing for the nerve destructive block (neurolysis).

More information about preparing for the procedure and what to expect before, during and after a spinal injection procedure.